A Glimpse of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

Less than three months after Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone in New York, the South Korean technology giant is already gearing up for its next big product launch event in London on June 20. And this week, Samsung accidentally gave eagerly awaiting fans a sneak preview of what seems to be one of its upcoming devices.

A person with knowledge of the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the S4 Mini is likely to be one of the several new products the company plans to launch at the event next month at London’s Earl’s Court exhibition center. At the event, Samsung is expected to unveil new devices that run on Google Inc.’s Android and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating systems. The S4 Mini wouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the company last year launched the Galaxy S III Mini after it released the Galaxy S III.

In the global smartphone industry, Samsung has been taking market share away from rival Apple Inc. In the January-March quarter, Samsung captured its highest-ever share of 33%, up from 29% in the same period a year earlier, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Apple’s market share, meanwhile, fell to 18% from 23% a year earlier.